In an operating room, both certain surgical instruments and a certain number of instruments may be needed to perform a surgical procedure. Typically the instruments brought into the operating room prior to an operation is counted and registered manually, to be certain that the right amount and correct instruments are available for operation. After completion of the operation, the instruments are again counted and registered manually, to ensure that no instruments are missing.
Manually registering and counting of equipment, before and after a surgery, is both time consuming and ineffective. Further, the consequence of errors may in a worst case scenario pose a life threatening situation for the patient.
Other situations exist where medical instruments need to be registered, and where a more efficient procedure will be beneficial, e.g. before and after sterilization, in or out of maintenance etc.
Providing the available instruments with an identification tag, such as an electronic identification tag, such as an RFID tag, it is in theory possible, within a couple of seconds, to read the presence of all identification tags, and thus all instruments present in a defined space. Identification tags may be in sizes of millimeters, and may be reliably read from a distance of a couple of meters. However, these sizes and ranges are continuously improved.
However, instruments are seldom manufactured with identification tags and several problems occur when attaching an identification tag to an instrument.
The identification tag may provide undue protrusions or sharp edges. This is especially a problem in surgical instruments for use in an operating room, the sharp edges may cause rubber gloves to be torn and pose a hygiene risk, both for the surgeon and the patient.
Further, cleaning, washing, and sterilization of the instruments may cause the identification tag to be separated from the instrument. Especially, an identification tag may be in risk of impacts by other instruments during washing, causing separation from the instrument and/or damage of the identification tag.
Further, sharp edges may pose adverse grooves that may be difficult to clean.
Prior art exists wherein encapsulation of semiconductors have been proposed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,365,655 disclose a method of making electronic modules for electronic memory cards and to electronic modules. Wherein an insulating resin forms an encapsulation for a semiconductor chip placed on a face of the metal strip. However, U.S. Pat. No. 5,365,655 apply a mold surrounding the semiconducter and therefore cannot be directly applied to provide attachment and cover of an identification tag applied to an existing solid surface, such as solid surface of a medical instrument.
US 2010/0176925 disclose methods for providing surgical instruments with an RFID transponder tag, wherein the tag may be adhered to, embedded, or potted within a portion of the instrument. However, US 2010/0176925 does not disclose effective ways of covering an identification tag while maintaining the shape and structure of the medical instrument.
WO 2011/054355 discloses a method for applying an RFID chip, on a medical instrument. The RFID chip is provided with a protective layer by applying a mixture of polymerizable acrylates or methacrylates or a solid on top of the RFID chip placed on the medical instrument. However, WO 2011/054355 does not provide a method which allows for an automated process.